Tag Archives: cityscape phoenix

For the fifth year in a row, close to 100,000 holiday revelers will descend on CityScape Phoenix to take part in the 10 weeks of CitySkate, the largest and only real outdoor ice rink in the Valley that is bigger than ever in the center of Central Avenue, and when you book your stay at Hotel Palomar, the festivities can carry on long into the night.

Sundays just got a whole lot more fun in Downtown Phoenix with the launch of Sunday Funday at CityScape Phoenix. Participating tenants are offering unique specials and outstanding discounts now through August.

In addition to all the special offers from tenants, the Splash Pad located in the center of CityScape is the perfect place for families and kids to cool off.

Sunshine Underground at LUSTRE Rooftop Garden

LUSTRE is the place to be every Sunday for one of the coolest pool parties in the Valley. DJs William Reed, Sean Watson and Deux Yeux spin indie rock beats while patrons soak up the sun and splash around in the rooftop pool that has outstanding panoramic views of the city. Every Sunday from 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. $10 at the door. Runs through Labor Day. lustrerooftopgarden.com

Sunday Funday Package at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix

For those that aren’t quite ready to let their weekend end, or if you want to take the elevator home after an afternoon at Sunshine Underground, Hotel Palomar Phoenix lets you extend the weekend just one more day with their Sunday Funday room package. Rooms start at $109 per night. Sundays only. Rate code: SDAY. hotelpalomar-phoenix.com/

Buy One, Get One Free at Stand Up Live

Buy one ticket, get one free on select Sunday comedy shows at Stand Up Live at CityScape using promo code “CityScape.” Valid for the following dates: July 21 (Suzanne Westenhoefer), July 28 (Sullivan & Son), August 4 (Amazing Johnathan) and August 25 (Tom Cotter). standuplive.com

Hair of the Hound Brunch at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails

Enjoy $13 bottomless brunch cocktails including Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas and Belinis during Hair of the Hound Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. *Ongoing promotion that does not expire in August. bluehoundkitchen.com

Enjoy $3 local beer all day on Sundays at Copper Blues. With 20 local beers to choose from, the first local resident group (four or more people) to buy a beer at Copper Blues on Sunday will decide the local special of the day. Whatever beer is chosen will be $3 all day that Sunday. coppperblueslive.com

Take advantage of 50 percent off the enrollment fee and a free personal training session through August when you enroll on a Sunday at Gold’s CityScape location. goldsgym.com/downtownaz

Yogurt Time

Enjoy 20 percent off your yogurt order all day on Sunday. Mention “Sunday Funday” as the secret password.

For more information, a tenant directory and to see what’s happening today, visit cityscapephoenix.com.

Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, CityScape Phoenix is a place where people come together for dining, nightlife, shopping, entertainment, business, community events and celebrations of all kinds. The perfect spot for a spontaneous night out on the town, CityScape Phoenix is a $500 million mixed-use, high-rise destination that is home to more than 20 retailers. Surrounded by light rail stops and adjacent to the Valley’s premier professional sports and entertainment venues, CityScape Phoenix is steps away from US Airways Center, Chase Field, the Phoenix Convention Center, Arizona State University’s downtown campus and state and government offices. In an area that once lacked a central core, CityScape Phoenix has become an authentic urban space that connects people and generates energy, creativity, enterprise and excitement all day, every day in one central location.

A wholly integrated commercial real estate company, RED maximizes asset value and performance for its high-quality retail and mixed-use portfolio that comprises 35 properties totaling more than 17 million square feet in 11 states. RED is a preferred partner for national retailers and investors, as well as for third-party property owners who turn to RED for its expertise in remerchandising and repositioning properties to improve profitability and appeal. A privately held company headquartered in Phoenix, RED builds on its development capabilities as an active acquirer of existing properties. reddevelopment.com

Brunch in Downtown Phoenix just got more interesting! Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at CityScape Phoenixis introducing “Hair of the Hound Brunch” every Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that includes $13 Bottomless Bloody Mary’s (traditional, smoked or kimchi), Mimosas and Bellinis. A few favorites from the brunch menu include Shrimp n Grits, Lemon-Ricotta Pancakces with blueberry syrup and Eggs Benny.

CityScape Phoenix will attempt to break the world record for biggest Pilates class with 863 participants in celebration of International Pilates Day on Saturday, May 4 with participants lining Central Avenue in Downtown Phoenix.

CityScape Phoenix, in partnership with Gold’s Gym, IMX Pilates Studio, Pilates by Fitness Solutions and Remedy, a Pilates & Massage Studio, will attempt to break the Guinness World Record. Currently standing at 862 people, CityScape plans to crush the world record that was achieved in Spain in 2009 by having 1,000 people simultaneously practicing Pilates at Patriots Square at CityScape and along Central Avenue. The class will be led by IM=X Pilates Master Trainer, Chanda Fetter, who has personally led more than 4,000 mat Pilates classes.

Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome to bring their mats and water and join in this exciting event. Arrival is encouraged at 8am with the hour class beginning at 9:30am. There will be live music, food and vendors in the park following the class from 10:30am to noon.

“It’s going to be an exciting morning in Downtown Phoenix and the record will be measured at a point during the class when everyone is participating,” said Celine Hacche, marketing director of CityScape Phoenix. “Health, wellness and bringing the community together are big priorities for us at CityScape and we’ve had great success in our free fitness classes that change on a seasonal basis.”

During the class, guests will learn proper technique, tone, strengthen and improve their body and working abs, buns and thighs. This event is free and open to the public.

Every Saturday morning since March 16, CityScape has been hosting “Pilates in the Park”, offering free Pilates classes at Patriots Square Park leading up to this world record attempt.

After participating in the world record attempt, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at Hotel Palomar Phoenix is offering participants a special offer during its Punch Brunch where you will receive half off your entrée with the purchase of any breakfast cocktail.

AZ 202

AZ 202 is a mixed-use project in the Southeast Valley that will serve as the entrance to Downtown Chandler. It features two Class A office buildings (4 and 6 stories), a hotel, retail shops, restaurants and other high visibility pads.

DPR Construction Phoenix Regional Office

DPR’s new Phoenix office is in the city’s Discovery Triangle corridor and signals the revitalization of a long-dilapidated building. Dubbed the DPR Boutique, it serves as an example of how sustainable design can be integrated into an efficient, effective and environmentally responsible office space.

Fajon Machining

The new, $1.6M fully air-conditioned machine is a machine shop for rebuilding turbines, utilizing a pre-engineered metal building structure with metal roof panels, and walls with a combination of metal walls panels and split-faced masonry block.

Fountainhead Office Plaza — 7C

A new, 14-story office tower and 7-story parking structure are planned for the 6-acre site fronting I-10 in Tempe. It will be just south of Fountainhead Office Plaza A and B, which were completed in 3Q 2011.

Gap Fulfillment Center

Gap’s new west Phoenix distribution center is a technologically advanced facility, featuring a robotic handling system for product fulfillment. The project was broken down into three distinct phases in an effort to meet the tenant’s operation and integration deliverables.

The project is a $6M, Class A medical building for lease on the site of a 350-acre campus of healthcare services and residential wellness villages. It is in close proximity to the Banner Estrella Hospital, the West Valley Hospital, and the new Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Lakeside Medical Commons

The $14M Class A medical office building with sustainable design will serve as a signature off-campus location for healthcare providers. The building will offer 25,000 SF floor plates for larger practices/clinics divisible to be 1,500 SF.

Litchfield Park Commons

The project calls for a $10M, 2-story, multi-use (office, retail and restaurant) facility in Downtown Litchfield Park. Shady outdoors plazas will integrate with the expanded city hall; balconies will echo the nearby historic Wigwam Resort with modern flair.

Mountain Ranch Medical Commons

With no existing medical services in Estrella, this new, $6M single-story Class A office building will be the community’s first medical office project. It offers space available from 1,200 SF to 24,500 SF with no-use restrictions.

Phoenix GSA Professional Office Building

The $47M development is a build-to-suit, 5-story building that will serve as a multi-purpose facility for the Phoenix office of the FBI. It sits on 12.3 acres and includes structured and on-grade parking for 557 vehicles.

The $10M project on the Herberger Campus will include a social services headquarters for outreach (including a new homeless shelter), domestic abuse facility, senior housing, Christmas Angel program and church. The other is the Southwest Divisional Headquarters with all of the corporate staff.

WL Gore Pinnacle Peak Campus

The $76M project is the first phase of WL Gore’s Pinnacle Peak Biomedical campus. Each of the first two buildings contain 111,000 SF and include sterilization labs and R&D labs. Phase 1 also includes a 420-stall parking structure.

[stextbox id=”grey”]For more information about NAIOP-AZ and the NAIOP members projects, visit www.naiopaz.org.[/stextbox]

Steel, Glass and Marvelous: A look at the biggest, best and most recognizable public and commercial buildings in Arizona

OK, so we don’t have the skylines of L.A., New York or Chicago. But for a state barely celebrating its first centennial, Arizona — Metro Phoenix in particular — is home to some fairly impressive commercial and public buildings.

Arizona doesn’t have the 110-story Chicago Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower) … but the Chase Tower in Downtown Phoenix looms as the tallest building in Arizona at 40 stories.

We don’t have New York’s swanky Plaza Hotel … but the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa — The Jewel of the Desert — is a world-famous travel destination.

The Los Angeles Coliseum? … Nope, we don’t have that either. But University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale already has played host to one Super Bowl and two BCS National Championship Games.

As part of AZRE’s Arizona Centennial Series, a look at the biggest, best and most recognizable public and commercial buildings in the state.

Best Sports Venue

One might say that the Arizona Cardinals scored when they found their new home in $455M University of Phoenix Stadium. With a multi-purpose design, the 63,400-seat stadium is host to not only football and soccer games, but to an array of events including motor sports competitions, trade shows and concerts. While the stadium may pride itself on its innovative versatility, the building’s design is equally as impressive. The exterior of the stadium, with alternating reflective metal panels and the iconic “Bird-Air” retractable fabric roof, was designed to replicate a barrel cactus. The interior features artistic elements including nostalgic photos and a series of murals representative of Arizona.

Tallest Building

Chase Tower certainly stands out in the Phoenix skyline with its modern use of glass, steel and concrete. This 40-story financial establishment was originally constructed for Valley National Bank, which after a series of mergers is today Chase Bank. In addition to its contemporary style, the tower strays from tradition with its underground, retail entry level, as opposed to the traditional commercial lobby space used in other buildings of its type. Aside from the tower’s primary use as an office space, Chase Tower offers restaurants, retail and, of course, banking services.

Oldest Commercial Building

As the only designated historic theater and last remaining example of theater palace architecture in the Valley, the fully restored Orpheum Theatre leaves little to the imagination when it comes to envisioning the grandeur of drama and cinema in America’s Golden Age. The original Spanish Baroque style theater was built by J.E. Rickards and Harry Nace as the final major construction project before the Great Depression. Once dubbed the “Grand Dame of Movie Theaters,” the Orpheum was originally intended for film and vaudeville performances. Though ownership of the theater has been passed down from Paramount to cinema aficionado James Nederlander to the City of Phoenix in 1984, its elegant, 1,364-seat Lewis Auditorium and glamorous marquee at Second and Adams prove that the “Grand Dame” status has survived.

Best Hospitality Property

Albert Chase McArthur certainly called upon the teachings of his former instructor, Frank Lloyd Wright, when he designed “The Jewel of the Desert,” The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. The resort’s construction features McArthur’s signature concrete “Biltmore Block,” whose geometry mimics the surrounding palm trees. In its early days as the preferred resort of celebrities and heads of state, the Biltmore was owned by William Wrigley Jr. With expansions and renovations including two golf courses, a spa, the Paradise Guest Wing and Pool, ballrooms and additional meeting spaces, the resort retains its status of elite hospitality and one of the largest hotels in Arizona.

Best Government Building

In relation to its surroundings, and rising up 22 stories, Phoenix City Hall can be classified as one of the Valley’s few skyscrapers. The building, also called the Phoenix Municipal Building, replaced the Old City Hall, which was located in the Calvin C. Goode Municipal Building. The building is home the City of Phoenix and the origin of legislation regarding public safety, transportation, recreation and sustainability. Phoenix City Hall is the common stomping ground for the governments of the city’s eight districts.

Most Expensive Commercial Building

The phrase “never a dull moment” is often reserved for people and places that provide some source of endless entertainment—and that’s exactly what CityScape offers. The $900M, mixed-use development hits the perfect balance of work and play with its collection of commercial towers, entertainment venues, retail and restaurants spanning two city blocks. The mixed-use facility may be one of the few places Valley residents and tourists can exercise, have a relaxing morning in Patriot’s Park, grab sushi or burgers for lunch, grocery shop, buy that new dress, attend a baseball game and finish the day off at a swanky restaurant or bar—all without getting in a car.

Best Medical Facility

The visual spectacle that is now the Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s new main building impacts countless drivers on State Route 51 with its lights and seamless architecture. And with the 11-story tower capable of serving 425 patients, the hospital hopes to impact equally as many children. With the new tower comes additional clinic space and operating rooms, a new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a separate Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit in response to the hospital’s successful Children’s Heart Center. The hospital’s recent makeover was not limited to the construction of the new tower, but included renovations to the existing buildings and new of satellite centers.

Best Public Building

Former Target CEO and African art collector, Robert J. Ulrich, was inspired to found the Musical Instrument Museum after visiting a similar museum in Belgium. The museum’s modern design is meant to compliment its surrounding desert landscape. MIM’s interior features a tile path, “El Río,” that flows to connect each of the museum’s galleries, as well as structural lines designed to echo those of common musical instruments. The museum boasts a unique collection of 14,000 musical instruments from 200 countries, with an emphasis on those of Western origin and includes pieces which once belonged to music legends including John Lennon and Eric Clapton.

Biggest Commercial Building

Home to countless trade shows, conventions and formal events and weighing in at 1.9 MSF, the Phoenix Convention Center is among one of the largest of its kind. The many structures of the convention center are built with stones and materials native to Arizona and designed to emulate our southwestern landscape and culture. Each building combines innovation and tradition with state-of-the-art technology services for vendor presentations and art from nationally recognized artists that highlight Arizona’s cultural identity.

Most Recognizable Building

Biosphere 2 is the much-anticipated sequel to the original biosphere made famous by years of evolution—Earth. The facility functions as a world within a world, separated from the outside by a 500-ton steel liner. Under its 6,500 windows and 7.2M cubic feet of sealed glass, self-sufficient ocean, wetland, grassland, desert and rainforest ecosystems thrive. In addition to the awe-inspiring glass dome structure, it includes the Technosphere basement floor and the Energy Center with electrical and plumbing services to maintain climate and living conditions within the dome. Biosphere 2, originally funded by a $30M gift from the Philecology Foundation, is now managed by the science program at the University of Arizona.

A political appointee with a successful track record in the private sector, Don Cardon has become the face of the new and innovating Arizona Commerce Authority. While Gov. Jan Brewer is chair of the public/private economic development agency and sports mogul Jerry Colangelo serves as co-chair, it is Cardon, as president and CEO, who has his hands on the reins.

Leaders who have gotten to know Cardon better during the process of creating the Arizona Commerce Authority say he keeps his cool at all times, in good days and bad, is respectful of all points of view, is thoughtful, and someone who projects an element of stability for the state of Arizona.

But even more importantly, according to Roy Vallee, outgoing chairman and CEO of Avnet, are Cardon’s financial skills.

“Not only does he have numeric literacy, (he also has an) understanding of financing, how to pull deals together and how to interact with banks and other sources of capital,” Vallee says.

Cardon began his employment with state government in March 2009 as director of the Arizona Department of Housing, and just a couple of months later Brewer appointed him director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, predecessor of the ACA. Before joining the state, Cardon was president and CEO of Cardon Development Group, creating low-income workforce housing projects in Phoenix, Gilbert, Eloy and Winslow, and was the visionary behind the group that helped create CityScape, a mixed-use development in Downtown Phoenix.

Cardon’s stated intention was to see the ACA through its formative stage until a permanent president and CEO could be brought onboard, enabling him to return to the more lucrative private sector. But as the ACA board of directors took shape, comprising the cream of Arizona’s business and community leaders, Cardon was urged by Brewer, Colangelo and board member Michael Manson to remain.

“We sat him down and said you can’t create vision and hope with no structure or follow through,” says Manson, co-founder/executive chairman of Motor Excellence in Flagstaff. “That’s the worst kind of leadership. He realized that was true. We identified him as one of the few people in the state who had the political connections, the Commerce Department background and the business connections to make this work.”

Manson, who has founded several other companies, including PETsMART, says Cardon brings enthusiasm, energy and integrity to the ACA.

“He’s eternally optimistic and politically sensitive,” Manson says. “It takes a unique person to be politically rooted, but business oriented, and to be able to handle all of the political and business entities and very strong personalities it requires. He is truly focused on doing the right things for this organization.”

Indeed, focus is a key word in Cardon’s vocabulary. In guiding the ACA, the focus is attracting and retaining businesses in science and technology, aerospace/defense, renewable energy, and small business/entrepreneurship. He once told an interviewer: “You can’t just kind of throw a line in water and say whatever fish comes along you’ll take, which isn’t to say we won’t respond to any other opportunities. But you have to know what you’re trying to go after.”

At the Commerce Department, economic development was “a shotgun approach,” Cardon says. It was an approach he intends to avoid. “There was no focus within the department,” he says. “Because of the lack of focus, I don’t believe the Legislature has had a great deal of confidence in our efficiency, our ability to accomplish what we set out to do. It was an agency that has really lost touch with what it’s really supposed to be about.”

Another ACA board member, Mary Peters, president of a consulting group bearing her name, touts Cardon’s private-sector background. “Don understands what it takes to attract and retain businesses in Arizona,” says Peters, whose resume includes stints as federal highway administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation in President George W. Bush’s administration from 2006-2009, and director of the Arizona Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2001.

“He knows how to put projects together and how to manage,” Peters says. “That’s the value I see in Don and what he brings in the transition from the Commerce Department, having that continuity. Having spent most of my professional career in the public sector, it’s helpful for me to have someone with that private-sector experience to realize what businesses are looking for. I have a different perspective. I know very well the regulatory side of government. I know what it’s like to work through issues with government agencies so those issues aren’t barriers to companies that would like to come into Arizona.”

When Vallee of Avnet, also on the ACA board, heard about a move to encourage Cardon to accept the top ACA job, even after a search firm had been hired and specs of the job had been outlined, his instant reaction was, “That’s fantastic.”

The reasons: Cardon had a good track record at the Commerce Department and had been intimately involved in the creation of the Commerce Authority.

“He understands the history and the purpose of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Vallee says. “This was a brand new entity, and if we recruit someone who had not been involved in creating it, that person would flounder for a while trying to figure out what the job is all about.”

Because the ACA is a public/private partnership, having a CEO with experience and expertise in both areas is considered a huge benefit.

“He is better able to manage that environment very, very well — better than anyone with one viewpoint or the other,” Vallee says.

Vallee mentions Cardon’s core values, especially integrity.

“We all want someone in that role we can trust,” he says. “People are going to want to do business with someone they can trust, whether it’s investment coming from within state or from outside. As people get to know Don and develop that trust, it’s going to be beneficial to economic development.”

Vallee pauses and adds, “Don is a good man and a good executive, which makes him a really great fit for this job.”